Blackburn Rovers ’ former boss Sam Allardyce says he has now launched legal action against the club and manager Steve Kean over his rant about him.

In May a furious Mr Allardyce took legal advice after footage, filmed by a fan in a Hong Kong bar during the team’s pre-season tour last summer, was posted on website YouTube.

The clip, which ran for four minutes and three seconds, showed Mr Kean apparently defaming Mr Allardyce as a “crook” while talking to supporters about his predecessor in highly critical terms and is spattered with four letter words.

A spokesperson for Mr Allardyce, now manager of newly-promoted Premier League side West Ham United, confirmed that legal claims have been lodged against both Mr Kean and the Blackburn Rovers.

He said: “We can confirm that Sam Allardyce has issued legal proceedings against Steve Kean and Blackburn Rovers but he is unable to comment any further at this time.”

Any hearing is likely to take place in the High Court in London.

The latest legal developments appeared to take the club by surprise yesterday.

Blackburn Rovers managing director Derek Shaw said: “I cannot comment on this. I don’t know any more.

“It might well be something that’s just happened that has not reached Steve Kean or Blackburn Rovers as yet.”

The YouTube footage generated wide attention and was sent to club matriarch Mrs Desai in India on the eve of a meeting with the manager after she had been sent a 4,312 name petition calling for him to be dismissed following Blackburn Rovers relegation from the Premier League.

In the clip Mr Kean says of his relationship with Mr Allardyce, who appointed him as first team coach: “I haven’t spoken to him because he mullered me so f*** him. I worked my b**** off for him and the he had a go at me so f*** him.”

The manager also tells fans in the bar that Rovers would finish in the top 10 of the Premier League and win the Carling Cup.

Elsewhere in the film Mr Kean speaks about his involvement in the rise to prominence of former Blackburn defender Phil Jones who was sold in June last year to Manchester United for £16.5 million.

He said: “When I arrived at the club he was playing at the academy. So I went to one of the academy games and said “Who is that lad there?” to the academy coach. He said “Phil Jones”.

“I went ‘What do you think of him?’ and he said ‘I’m not sure we are going to keep him on’.

“I said, ‘You are f****** joking’. He said, ‘Do you think he is good?’ “I said ‘Good? Send him up to the senior training centre f******* tomorrow. Good. He is as good as John Terry’.

“I said: “If you don’t like him, no f******* problem. I f******* like him. Send him up to the senior training centre tomorrow’.”